Electric switch



No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 1. F. D. HALL.

ELECTRIC SWITCH. No. 586,029.

Patented July 6, 1897.

WITNESSES 2 INVENTOR 5664M 4 a 1 4 ATTORNEY UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

FRANK D. HALL, OF SYRACUSE, NEV YORK.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

SPECIFICATIONfOrming part of Letters Patent No. 586,029, dated July 6,1897.

Application filed March 8, 1897.

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK D. HALL, of S yracuse, in the county ofOnondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Electric Switches, of which the following, taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

This invention relates to the class of electric switches in which theswitch-plate is thrown into and out of contact with the poles orterminals by a movement of said plate in a plane at right angles to thatof the poles or terminals.

The chief object of the invention is to provide a switch which shall bequick and positive in its action of making and breaking the circuit andguard against the liability of cansing the sparking incident to slow andimperfeet contacts of the switch-plate with the poles or terminals ofthe circuit; and to that end the invention consists in the novelconstruction and combination of the constituent parts of the switchhereinafter described, and set forth in the claims.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a face view of an electric switchembodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan View of the same. Fig. 3 isa side View. Fig. 4 is a sectional View on the line X X in Fig. 2 withthe hand-lever in position to allow the switchplate to be held out ofcontact with the poles,

and Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the position of the cam when theswitch-plate is thrown into contact with the poles.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A denotes the usual insulating-base of the switch.

a to represent the poles or terminals, which may be secured to said basein any suitable manner and are provided with flexible metallic lips a aconstituting the contacts between which the switch-plate enters inclosing the circuit.

The switch herein represented is constructed for controlling twocircuits, and for this purpose the base A has attached to it four polesor a and a (1, arranged in parallel pairs, as shown in Fig. 1 of thedrawings.

0 represents the switch-plate, which in my invention is sustainedmovably into and out Serial No. 626,359- (No model.)

of contact with both poles simultaneously, and thus make and break thecircuit quicker and more positively. This I prefer to accomplish bymechanisms shown in the annexed drawings and consists of a tubular postP, which projects from the face of the base A at a point central betweenthe four poles a a and a a and at right angles to a plane passingthrough said poles.

The attachment of the post to the base, as shown in Fig. 4 of thedrawings, consists of a collar P, formed on the foot of the post andresting on the face of the base A. A tubular extension P is fittedtightly in a socket or orifice A in the base and is screw-threadedinternally and receives in it a screw 0, pro-.

Vided with a head 0, by which to turn the screw, so as to draw the postfirmly onto the base. A washer c is interposed between the saidscrew-head and face of the base. This post is provided with longitudinalslots 1) b in diametric opposite sides and with longitudinal slots b b,which are in a plane at right angles to that of the slots Z9 Z7.

Transversely through the slots Z) 19 passes a plate cl, of hard rubberor other suitable non-conducting material. This plate constitutes twoarms, to the ends of which are fastened the switch-plates O and 0, eachof which extendsin opposite directions from its respectivesupporting-arm, and is sustained parallel with the plane of the twopoles.

In the portion of the post adjacent to the base A is alongitudinally-movable plunger 6, which is provided with an extension 0formed separate and provided with a slot e", through which the plate clpasses. A spur on the end of the plunger proper engages the said plateat the center of its length, and thus confines the same in its positionin relation to the axis of the post so as to carry the switch-plates Oand C equidistant from the post and compel said plates to travel inlines parallel with the post during the operation of the plunger.

f represents a spiral spring which surrounds a portion of the plungerand presses with its outer end on a collar f, affixed to the plunger,and with its opposite end on the bottom of the socket f formed in theinner end of the screw 0. This spring forces the plunger outward andcauses the switch-plates O and O to be held normally out of contact withthe poles.

To the outer end portion of the post P is pivoted a hand-lever g, whichhas integral with it or rigidly attached to it an eccentrically orelliptically curved cam h, which bears on a shoulder 11, formed on theplunger extension a h, which is parallel with or curved to correspond tothe curvature of the cam-face and is terminated with a more abruptcurvature h in the free end of the cam, for the purpose hereinafterexplained. To the plunger eX tension e is fastened alaterally-projecting pin Z, which passes through the slot h.

In the operation of the described switch the switch-plates O O are heldnorm-ally out of contact with the poles at a and a Ct by means of thespring f forcing the plunger c outward. To permit this movement of theplunger, the hand-lever g is to be turned to carry the cam h outwardfrom the post P and thereby cause the plunger extension e to beretracted by the engagement of the pin Z with the slot h of the cam, asshown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. When the circuits are 'to be closed,the hand-lever g is turned on its pivot to force the cam h inward, andin this movement the cam forces the plunger e to ward the base A, andthereby causes the switch-plates O C to be pressed into contact with allthe poles at a and a a simultaneously, and when this is effected the pinZhas entered the abruptly-curved end portion of the cam-slot h, andthereby locks the switch in said position sufficiently to permit itsbein g accidentally unlocked.

In the operation of breaking the circuit the movement of the plunger 2is accelerated by the force of the spring f, and thus the switchplatesare withdrawn more quickly and positively from all the poles. Hence theliability of producing electric sparking is more effectually obviated. 1

What I claim as my invention is- 1. The combination, with theinsulatingbase and a plurality of poles secured to said base anddisposed in pairs, of a tubular post projecting from the base betweenthe pairs of poles, a plunger guided rectilinearly in said post,switch-plates carried by said plunger permanently parallel with therespective pairs of poles, a lever fulcrumed in the post,

The said cam is provided with aslot an eccentricallycurved cam fixed tosaid lever and bearing on the end of the plunger to force the sametoward the base, means for locking the lever to retain the switch-platesin contact with the poles, and aspring in the base of the post forcingsaid plunger outward, as set forth and shown.

2. The combination with the insulatingbase and a plurality of polessecured to said base and disposed in parallel pairs, a tubular postprojecting from the base between the pairs of polesand provided withlongitudinal slots in opposite sides, aplunger sliding longitudinally inthe interior of said post, two arms of insulating material fastened tothe plunger and projecting through the longitudinal slots of the post,switch-plates attached to the free ends of said arms and sustainedparallel with the respective pairs of poles, a leve-rfulcrumed 'onthepost and having affixed to it a cam bearing on the outer end of theplunger to force the same inward, and a spring in the base of the postforcing the plunger outward, as set forth and shown.

3. The combination with the -insulating base and a plurality of pairs-ofpoles secured to said base and disposed in parallel lines, a tubularpost projecting from the base between the pairs of poles and providedwith longitudinal slots in opposite sides, a plunger slidinglongitudinally in said post, two arms formed in one piece ofnon-conducting material and secured 'at the center of its length to theplungerand extending through two of the diametrically opposite slots inthe post, switch-plates fixed to the ends of said arms, a hand-leverpivoted to the free end portion of said post and having fixed to it acam bearing on the end of the plunger and provided with a longitudinalslot curved to correspond to the curvature of the face of said cam andterminated with an abruptly-increasedcurvature, a pin fastened to an eX-tension of the plunger and passing through the slot of the cam, and aspiral spring located in the post and forcing the plunger longitudinallyoutward, substantially as described and shown.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name this 6th day ofMarch, 1897.

FRANK D. l-IALL. [L. s]

Witnesses:

J. J. LAASS, II. B. SMITH.

